Stealing Fire (Bad Boys Of The Underworld Book 5) (21 page)

She didn’t blame him. She hadn’t known anything about children before Clara. Dad didn’t have much family, so there were no kids to grow up around. She’d seen babies and held them, but never felt anything more than a “that’s cute...have your baby back” while they were in her arms.

Clara was different. Every time she looked at Clara, her heart would swell with pride and her maternal instincts would take over.

This was hers. The most important thing she’d ever done or created and she needed to keep her safe.

There was still time to run. She’d thought about it all night. Packing up Clara like she’d originally planned. She had a duffel bag of cash and a supernaturally smart daughter. It wouldn’t be easy to track her down.

But he would. Finding her was one thing. But if she took his daughter from him, he would stop at nothing to track her down and bring both of them back.

Or just Clara.
What would she do if he took her? What could she do? Go to the government?
Ella didn’t even know whether they knew about the myotis or vampires. If they did, the kidnapping of a girl would be the least of their concerns.

No, playing nice was her best option. She just had to stop thinking of Lucian as the beast who took her and trapped her. This was the same man who warmed her with his body and obsessed over keeping her safe.

He would be a loving father to Clara. How many times had Clara asked about her father in the past couple of months?

No matter how many times Ella insisted Clara’s father was “out of the picture and not coming back,” Clara kept on asking.

Now she could know. And who wouldn’t want a handsome, powerful, and caring father? They might have a hard time getting to know each other, but soon enough they would get into a rhythm.

Of course, this was assuming Lucian hadn’t killed Charlie overnight. She’d been calling him all night, but he never answered his phone. “If Lucian said he’d keep him safe, he’s going to,” she muttered to herself.

“Your friend is fine,” said Lucian from behind her.

Ella jumped at the sound. “God, Lucian! Haven’t you ever heard of knocking?”

She turned to see him in the living room, flanked by Clara’s little pink kitchenette set and the television. His oversized frame looked completely out of place.

He shrugged. “Isn’t it bad to ring the bell when there are small children in the house?”

She snorted. “Yeah. Good luck getting that girl out of bed when she doesn’t want to.”

The corner of his mouth tilted up. “She’s a heavy sleeper?”

“Yep. It’s one of the...
different
things about her.”

“Is she very different?”

Ella considered it for a minute. “I don’t know. I don’t have much to compare her to. Sometimes she seems so old when she speaks. She eats more than normal children. Sleeps more, grows more. She hasn’t changed into, um, whatever it is you turn into.”

“That’s good,” he muttered.

“Is it? I really have no way of knowing.” She crossed her arms in front of her, suddenly feeling cold in her long-sleeved sleeping shirt and pajama pants.

“So what have you been up to?” he asked.

The question seemed so casual. Something that would be asked of a long-lost friend, not whatever it was they were. “I work at the local library. They had a big computer overhaul when I moved to town and I was hired to help out. Charlie’s been helping me with self-defense. He says I’m pretty good.”

Lucian chuckled for a second. “He mentioned that.”

“He’s really okay?”

“He’s a bit confused. It was a lot to take in. Experience has taught me that changing in front of a mortal is the best way to tell him the truth.”

She bit her lip. “This is all my fault. I should’ve never called him that night.”

“You called him to save you from a vampire?”

“I didn’t really know what to do. It was the first one I’d seen since—well, you know when. Charlie is former military. I figured he could help. But I had it taken care of before he got there.”

“How exactly did you pull that off?”

A prideful smile came to her lips. “Well, I have some vampire mace I sprayed in his eyes and I stabbed him in the heart with a silver knife when he was blinded.”

“Vampire mace?”

“You said they couldn’t cross the river because it was laced with silver. So I have some canisters I filled with silver chains and water. Eventually the metal leaks into the water and, voila. Vampire mace.”

Lucian laughed. “Funny. We have something similar to that. A bit more sophisticated, but the same general idea.”

Ella smiled but didn’t say anything.
Should she offer him coffee? Did he drink coffee?
File that under things she should know
before
sleeping with a crazed kidnapper. “Did you want something to drink?”

“Water is good.”

She turned toward the kitchen and heard his footsteps behind her. The hairs on the back of her neck stood. He really wasn’t the type of guy a girl should turn her back on.

“The pregnancy was short. That was another thing different about Clara. Six months total.”

“Was it hard? I don’t really know what that means, but don’t women talk about their pregnancies being hard...”

“That is a thing, yes. It’s difficult to judge since I’ve never been pregnant before and don’t know anyone who has. I didn’t go to a doctor because of the unusual circumstances. I did take a class or two beforehand, though.”

“You’re rambling. That means it was hard, doesn’t it?”

Ella frowned. “There were a lot of backaches. I was pretty much bedbound for the last two months.”

“I should’ve been there,” hissed Lucian.

“Right. You should’ve kept me your prisoner so you could wait on me for those two months. I survived.” The last thing she wanted was for him to regret his decision to let her go.

Reno chose that moment to wander into the kitchen. Stretching as though his life was
so
hard, he made his way over to Lucian and leaned against his leg.

If the dog liked him, that had to be a good sign.
At least, that’s what she told herself.

“Hey, buddy.” Lucian bent down to scratch the dog, causing Reno’s tail to become a blur of motion. Lucian looked to Ella. “Not the best guard dog, huh?”

She shook her head. “Babysitter dog. He and Clara can keep each other amused for hours.”

“Good to know.” More silence.

“I told her about vampires,” blurted out Ella.

“I noticed.”

“It wasn’t like I had a lot of options and I didn’t want her to be blindsided by their existence like I was. She has a right to know, especially if she’s going to be in danger.”

“It’s fine, Ella.”

She slammed a hand down on the counter. “No, it’s not fine. She’s just a kid. She shouldn’t have to know about the things that go bump in the night. I should be able to look at her and honestly say there are no monsters in the closet, not check inside holding a silver knife.”

Lucian walked closer. “You’re a fighter. I’m a fighter. I’m sure Clara will do just fine.”

Ella looked at him with a look of disbelief. “You really think it’s that easy? We don’t have any idea what we’re dealing with. I know you don’t know more about raising kids than me, which says a lot since I know nothing.

“She’s smart. Really smart. She needs to go to school, but how can I enroll her when she might look like a ten-year-old by the time she’s in the first grade? At this rate, she’ll look like she’s ready for college before she gets out of elementary school!”

“There are schools we can take her to. Dmitri can help.”

“Dmitri? The one who bit me?”

“He hasn’t bit an unwilling woman for some time.”

“Just to clarify, him using mind control doesn’t make her willing.”

“Then I will have to retract my statement.”

She frowned. “‘Retract your statement’? Who says that?”

He smiled. “I do.”

“That’s so weird.”

“I guess I’m just weird.”

She laughed and looked up at him.
When had he gotten so close?
If he just took one step closer and bent down, he’d be kissing her.

God, she wanted him to kiss her.

Why him?
Others had shown interest. Even Charlie! Perfect, attractive, smart, and great with Clara.
Why couldn’t she fall for him?

Not once had she felt this all-consuming need to cover Charlie’s lips with her own. She’d never thought about what it would be like if Charlie backed her up against her kitchen counter, lifting her to sit on the edge. Then she’d pull him closer, kissing him passionately and wrapping her legs around his waist, wishing neither was wearing any clothes.

“What are you thinking?” asked Lucian in a dark and husky voice.

“Bad, bad things,” she whispered.

Lucian licked his lips and closed the distance between them. “I think bad things about you all the time. I don’t want to, but I can’t seem to stop myself. I think of doing things to you that would make you slap me and run away.”

Ella took in a hot breath, fighting everything in her as she kept herself from bringing her lips up to his.

Suddenly, Lucian’s head jerked to the side and he stepped back. Before she could ask why, Clara stumbled into the kitchen, rubbing her eyes as she walked.

She stopped in her tracks when she finally saw Lucian. Big blue eyes shifted between Ella and Lucian.

“Honey, you remember Lucian from last night?”

Clara eyed him. “Did you sleep here?”

Ella covered her hand with her mouth and Lucian smiled at the question. “Lucian just got here.”

“Does your mommy have a lot of sleepovers?” asked Lucian, earning him a swat in the bicep.

Why did his arm have to be rock hard? Was he even flexing?

Clara enthusiastically nodded. “Mommy has sleepovers all the time!”

Lucian stiffened and Ella’s eyes widened. “What are you talking about?”

The girl frowned at Ella’s shocked reaction. “You have sleepovers with me and Reno.”

Ella let out a breath she didn’t even realize she was holding. “
Those
sleepovers.”

Reno moved to Clara’s side and plopped down on the tile directly in front of her.

“He’s a very loyal dog,” said Lucian.

Clara knelt and patted Reno on the head. “My daddy bought him for Mommy.”

Ella bit her lip and stared intently at the tile. She should tell Clara. She had a right to know who her father was. Now that the very idea of hiding from Lucian was out of the realm of possibilities, it was time she knew the truth.

But how was she supposed to break the news? Just blurt it out in the middle of her kitchen?
Hey, Clara! This random guy you’ve never met before today is your dad! Start bonding!

She should let them get to know each other, but that was just prolonging the lie. One of her hands rubbed the back of her neck as she tried to think out the situation.

“So, what’s on the agenda today?” asked Lucian, thankfully dropping any conversation about Clara’s “daddy.”

Ella gave him a small smile of appreciation. This was all too much to deal with at once.

Considering she’d half expected him to just take Clara without a second glance, it was a pleasant surprise to see him being considerate of their mother-daughter relationship.

Ella moved to the fridge as she grabbed some eggs. “Well, I have to call in to work since I conveniently told the babysitter yesterday that I was going out of town.”

“Is that a big deal?” He moved out of her way as she grabbed a skillet from the drawer below the stove.

“Well, I’m not fighting supernatural wars or anything, but I do have things to get done. We just ran an update to the inventory management software last week and I’d hate to leave the other staff hanging.”

“Why don’t I watch Clara?”

She jerked her head to Lucian. “Um, well, I—”
Lucian alone with Clara?
That just screamed bad idea. “Do you know anything about kids?”

“I have to learn somehow.” He looked over to Clara. “You feel like hanging out with me all day?”

Clara considered it for a moment. “I don’t really know you.”

Ella rolled her eyes. Sometimes Clara sounded older than her.

“After today you’ll know me much better.”

“Gloria lets me watch TV.” She moved over to sit at one of the chairs at the table as Ella put a few pieces of bread in the toaster.

“I don’t see a problem with TV.”

“Mommy doesn’t like it. She says I should get outside and play.”

“Can’t you do both?”

“As long as I can choose when I do what.”

Lucian’s brows drew together. “How old are you again?”

“Mommy says I should tell people I’m four.”

He nodded. “You’re very smart.”

“I hear that a lot.”

Ella set the over easy eggs and toast in front of Clara. “God help the world when you realize that you’re smarter than the rest of us.”

“What does that mean, Mommy?”

“It means I love you.”

Lucian’s eyes moved to the single plate on the table. “You aren’t eating?”

Ella inwardly groaned. She hadn’t even thought to offer Lucian anything. “I already had something. Did you want some eggs?”

He shook his head. “I’m good. What do you say? Me and Clara for the day? You can stop by to see the gym guy on your way home.”

“Seriously? You don’t care if I stop by to see Charlie?”

“You’ll be coming home to me,” he pointed out, not even bothering to hide the possessive undertone.

She shifted on her feet as she thought about the possibilities.
Lucian. Alone. With her daughter.
Technically his daughter too, but that didn’t make her feel better about it. “I’m going to get ready for work, but I haven’t made up my mind yet,” she warned as she moved to her bedroom, all too aware that she was leaving them alone together for the first time.

She gently pressed her bedroom door shut and leaned against it
. What the hell was she supposed to do?

At the moment, nothing. Lucian would do what he wanted, when he wanted. If he truly wanted to get to know his daughter, he would. He had a right. As much crap as he’d done to her, he never forced her.